Miniature headset-microphone adapted for use with a mask



May 18, 1965 w. K. LARKIN 3,184,556

MINIATURE HEADSET-MICROPHONE ADAP'IED FOR USE WITH A MASK Filed Dec. 11, 1961 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 JNVENTOR. WALLACE /65/7H LARK/N ATTO/PNE May 18, 1965 w. K. LARKIN 3,184,556

MINIATURE HEADSET-MICROPHONE ADAPTED FOR USE WITH A MASK Filed Dec. 11, 1961 2 SheetsSheec 2 INVENTOR. WALLACE KE/TH LARK/N A 7' TOP/V VS United Stat 3,184,556 MINIATURE HEADSET-MICROPHONE ADAPTED FGR USE WITH A MASK Wallace Keith Larkiu, Santa (Iruz, Calif assigncr to Pacific Plantronics, Inc., a corporation of California Filed Dec. 11, 1961, Ser. No. 158,463 6 Claims. (Cl. 179156) This invention relates to miniature type sound translating apparatus which is provided with a tuned acoustical tube to improve the frequency response characteristic and also to enable the apparatus to he used either with or without masks such as oxygen masks employed by airline ilots. p An object of this invention is to provide an improved sound translating apparatus adapted to be used with communications apparatus employed in vehicles such as airplanes in which the pilot is sometimes required to wear a mask such as an oxygen mask.

Still another object of this invention is to provide a tuned acoustical tube with a miniature type microphone to mechanically alter the frequency response of the microphone by removal of certain objectionable frequencies and also to alter the microphone primary frequency response curve.

A further object of this invention is to provide an improved arrangement for attaching a sound translating device, such as is used by airline pilots, to the temple bar of sun glasses or other glasses worn by the pilots.

Still another object of this invention is to provide an improved sound translating apparatus that may be worn by an airline pilot and which is provided with means whereby a mask, such as an oxygen mask, which the pilot may have to wear occasionally, does not interfere with the transmission of the pilots voice to the microphone which is supported on the temple bar of the glasses worn by the pilot.

Still another object of this invention is to provide an improved arrangement for supporting the microphone near the users ear, said microphone being provided with a plastic acoustic tube having an air column therein the open end of which is adapted to be positioned adjacent to a corner of the users mouth, or attached to a diaphragm cavity of the oxygen mask when such mask is worn by the user of the microphone.

Other and further objects of this invention will be apparent to those skilled in the art to which it relates from the following specification, claims and drawings in which briefly:

FIG. 1 is'a view showing this invention employed in combination with an oxygen mask;

. FIG. 2 is a view of this invention employed without the oxygen mask;

. FIG. 3 is a sectional view taken along the line 3-3 of FIG. 1;

FIG. 4 is a side view of the fitting provided for supporting the microphone and receiver;

FIG. 5 is a sectional view taken along the line 55 of FIG. 4;

FIG. 6 is a detailed view showing the manner in which the fitting shown in FIGS. 4 and 5 is supported on the temple bar of the pilots eyeglass frame, a portion of the temple bar being shown in broken lines;

FIG. 7 is an end view of the fitting shown in FIGS. 4, 5 and 6; and

FIG. 8 is a schematic view of the pilots and co-pilots compartment in an aircraft showing the manner in which this invention is adapted to be used.

Referring to the drawing in detail, there i shown in FIG. 1 an embodiment of this invention employed in combination with an oxygen or smoke mask such as is 3&84555 Patented May 18, 1965 provided to airline pilots, navigators and other personnel having communications responsibilities. In FIG. 2 there is shown an embodiment of this invention employed by the communications apparatus operator or pilot after removal of the mask. The small fitting 16 which may be made of metal or plastic material is provided for the purpose of supporting a microphone and telephone receiver or other sound translating apparatus or transducers on the temple bar 11 of the eyeglass frame Worn by the operator or pilot. A spring clip device 12, such as shown in FIGS. 5, 6, and 7, is provided for this purpose. The clip 12 is shaped so that the end portions 13 and 14 thereof form hooks which clip over one side of the temple bar 11, as illustrated by the hook 14 shown in FIG. '7, and the middle part 15 of this spring clip is bent back upon itself as shown in FIG. 6 to form an opposing hook adapted to be clipped over the other side of the temple bar 11, also as shown in FIG. 7.

The fitting 10 is provided with a button member 17 which extends from the inner side of this fitting and which is provided with a keystone shaped portion 17a that is anchored in a suitable cavity in the fitting it) by means of the cement, plastic or other potting material 18 as shown in FIG. 5. The projecting portion of this button 17 is provided with a circumferential groove in which the arcuate portions 15 and 16 of the clip member 12 are adapted to be resiliently lodged as shown in FIGS. 5 and 6. Thus the fitting it) may be detachably attached to the temple bar 11 and it may also be detached from the clip member 12 if desired.

The fitting 10 is also provided with additional cavities for receiving the transducers 19 and 2t? which comprise the microphone and receiver of a communications apparatus such as is employed by the pilot and co-pilot of an aircraft. These devices 19 and 20 are positioned in their respective cavities in the fitting 1d and they are held therein by a thin layer of plastic, cement, or potting material 21 and 22 respectively. Both the microphone 19 and receiver 26 are of the miniature type such as are used in hearing aids.

The microphone 19 is provided with a short tubular extension 23 which is hollow and to which the cap 24 is adapted to be attached. Thus the projection 23 extends into the cavity 25 of the cap 24 so that sound transmitted through the plastic or other flexible tube 26 and tubular connection 27 into the cavity 25 passes through the hollow extension 23 into the microphone 19. A suitable flexible or resilient gasket 23a may be provided between the cap 24 and the extension of projection 23 of the microphone and this gasket is preferably sutficiently flexible or resilient to hold the cap 24 assembled on the microphone and also to permit the cap 24 to be rotated with respect to the microphone 19.

The receiver 2% is also provided with a hollow exten sion or projection similar to the projection 23 of the microphone 19 so that sound generated in the receiver 29 may be readily passed into the cavity of the cap 28 which is similar to the cap 24. The ear tube 29 is attached to the cap 28 by means of the coupling member 39 so that the sound from the cavity of the cap 23 is passed through this car tube 29 into the operators ear.

The plastic tube 26 is made of yieldable material which may be formed into predetermined shape so that the lower end thereof may be placed either in the fitting 31 of the mechanical microphone that is supported on one side of the oxygen mask, as shown in FIG. 1, or this lower part of the plastic tube 26 may be positioned at the corner of the operators mouth, as shown in FIG. 2, when the operator does not wear the oxygen mask. The mechanical microphone unit positioned in the mask is intended to eliminate the conventional electrical microphone which is 3 now an integral part of the oxygen and smoke masks used in military and commercial jet aircraft.

The fitting 31 in which the lower end of tube 26 is a with the diaphragm housing member of the mechanical. microphone so that one sided this member is 'clampedr against the resilient liner 34 of the mask when the fitting A 31 is tightened up against the outer mask member 33. The

tubular member 32 is provided with a hollow channel 36 which communicates with the compartment 37 behind the diaphragm 38 and it also communicates with the channel throughthe plastic tube 26. A diaphragm 38h; heldin the member 35 on the shoulder 35a by the cap 39jwhich is provided with an inner annular member that is adapted to engage the peripheral outer part of the diaphragm and.

press this diaphragm against the'shoulder 35a. Cap 391' is also provided with an outer annular portion 3912 which is threaded to the outside of the diaphragm housing 35,

A plurality of holes 40 is also provided to the centralportion of the cap 39 so that sound may readily enter the inside of this cap to impinge the diaphragm 38. Thus sound vibrations impinge the diaphragm 38 and vibrate the air column extending all the way from the inner surs face of the diaphragm 38 to the surface of the diaphragm. (not shown) in microphone 1W. I The air column starting in the microphone cavity 25 and passing through fitting 27, plastic tube 26 and tubular member 32, which opens into the diaphragm cavity 37 of the mechanical microphone provides acoustic tuning to the miniature type microphone and alters mechanically the frequency response of the microphone. The tube 26 is preferably made of irradiated polyolefin plastic such as polypropylene made by the Alpha Wire Company and the desired acoustic tuning for the miniature type microphone isaccomplished by controlling the length, diameter and wall thickness of this tube. The use of such a tuned acoustical system with a miniature type microphone is done for the specific purpose of removing a series of inherent deficiencies due to the miniature size of these microphones which has pre viously precluded their use in general audio communication applications.

Thus the tuned acoustical tube in this invention functions to substantially remove certain objectionable frequencies or hands of frequencies prominent in background noises in any specific environment and it also functions to vided for attaching the fitting 10 to the temple bar 11 is'constructed so that this fitting may be attached either to the right hand temple bar or to the left handtemple bar as desired. Also the cap 24 for the microphone and cap 28 for the receiver are adapted to rotate with respect to these elements so that the plastic tubes 26 and 29 attached thereto may be positioned at the desired angles with respect to the fitting 10. Thus the pilot occupying seat 41 has the electrical connections 44 from his microphone and receiver connected to the communication apparatus coupling box 42 which is attached to the fuselage of the aircraft, and theco-pilot occuppying the seat 42 being provided with a microphone and receiver attachment on the left hand side of his head has the electrical connections 45 thereto coupled to the coupling box 43 of the communications apparatus.

While I have shown and described a preferred embodiment ofjthe invention, it will be understood that the invention is capable of variafion and modification from the form shown so that its scope should be limited only by the scope of the claims appended hereto.

What I claim is:

l. A miniaturized microphone headset employing a miniature microphone and a miniature receiver, comprising the combination of support means for detachably supporting the miniature microphone and the miniature receiver adjacent to the wearers ear, a first acoustical tube, means for attaching one end of said first tube to said microphone and the other end of said first tube being adapted to be positioned adjacent to the wearers mouth, a second acoustical tube, and means for attaching one end of said second tube to said receiver and the other end of said second tube being adapted to be plugged into the wearers ear.

. 2. A miniaturized microphone headset according to claim 1 wherein said first acoustical tube is made of yieldable plastic material;

3. A miniaturized microphone headset according to claim 1 wherein said first acoustical tube is made of poly- V olefin plastic.

4. A miniaturized microphone headset according to claim 1 and adapted'for use with a pair of eye glasses miniature microphone and a miniature receiver and comalter the primary frequency response curve of the micro-' 7 phone particularly in the lower spectrum to allow use of the miniaturetype microphone in areas of voice-communication, suchas, aircraft, switchboard, teaching'machines, etc., where space and Weight savings are important. 7 In some installations, it may bedesirable to provide a small opening from cavity 37 to the exterior through the wall of the housing 3d so that air pressure therein may be equalized to the air pressure in the gas mask,- or oxygen mask. This small opening, however, shouldnot'be so large as to compare in cros -section with the cross-sectional area of the passage 36.

One of the advantages of this invention is that the microphone 19 and receiver 20 may be worn on either side of the operators head. Thus the pilot sitting in seat 41 in the aircraft pilots compartment, shown in FIG. 8, may wear the microphone and receiver on the right hand side of his head and the spring clip 12 that is proacoustically coupling the other end bined with a mask, said headset comprising: means for detachably supporting the miniature microphone and the miniature receiver adjacent to the wearers ear, an acoustical tube, means for attaching one end of said tube to said microphone, a chamber mounted in said mask, a diaphragm mounted within said chamber, and means for of said tube to said chamber.' References Cited bythe Examiner UNTTED STATES PATENTS 2,485,405 40/49 Olney et 1 179-102 2 ,717,932 9/55 Rackham et a1. 179.187 X 2,904,640 J 9/59 Dreher et a1 179-l56 ROBERT i-rnosn, Primary Examiner. WILLIAM C; COOPER, Examiner. 

1. A MINIATURIZED MICROPHONE HEADSET EMPLOIYING A MINIATURE MICROPHONE AND A MINIATURE RECEIVER, COMPRISING THE COMBINATION OF SUPPORT MEANS FOR DETACHABLY SUPPORTING THE MINIATURE MICROPHONE AND THE MINIATURE RECEIVER ADJACENT TO THE WEARER''S EAR, A FIRST ACOUSTICAL TUBE, MEAND FOR ATTACHING ONE END OF SAID FIRST TUBE TO SAID MICROPHONE AND THE OTHER END OF SAID FIRST TUBE BEING ADAPTED TO BE POSITIONED ADJACENT TO THE WEARER''S MOUTH, A SECOND ACOUSTICAL TUBE, AND MEANS FOR ATTACHING ONE END OF SAID SECOND TUBE TO SAID RECEIVER AND THE OTHER END OF SAID SECOND TUBE BEING ADAPTED TO BE PLUGGED INTO THE WEARER''S EAR. 